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Thursday, 6 December 2012

Judy
Brook is a subject leader for Business & ICT at Hereward College. Her favorite pastime is travelling
and her favorite TV show is I’m a Celebrity, get me out of here!

Last
week Martin Berisford, student and blog reporter at Hereward College,
sat down with Judy for an interview and found out a bit about herself
and her work.

MB – In a nutshell, how would you describe
yourself?

JB – I’d like to think of myself as a positive person who’s
good at bringing out the best in people!

MB – How did you end up teaching Business?

JB - There is quite a story behind this one! Back when I
was at school I went to what would be the careers advisor today and happened to
mention that I was good at maths. This led to the suggestion that I should
apply for a job in a bank, so I applied to be a cashier with Lloyds TSB. I worked with Lloyds for 24 years, eventually
ending up as a branch manager but part of me had always wanted to teach. Then whilst I was on maternity leave I saw an
advert for a money-management lecturer at Hereward College. Seven years later,
I am now the subject leader for Business and ICT.

MB – Outside
of work, what would you say are your hobbies?

JB – Outside of work I would say that my time is mostly
taken up by my five children but I do love heading out for a meal or taking a
trip to the cinema. My passion though is travelling, I love seeing new places
and experiencing new things.

MB - What is a typical day in
your job like?

JB – Is
there ever a typical day?! Every day changes for me and it is this variety I
love. Some days I will be teaching students
all day but other days I may be dealing with student’s concerns or problems or
attending meetings to plan for the future in regards to Business and ICT. Every day brings different challenges and
achievements!

MB - What is the best thing
about working at Hereward?

JB – It
has to be the students! It is so rewarding to see a student you have worked
with gain the qualification they wanted, get the job of their dreams or head
off to University.

MB - If someone asked you for a
piece of advice, what would you say?

JB – Business
students will have heard me say this a lot but it is a quote from a man named
Zig Ziglar and it is “You don’t have to be great to start but you have to start
to be great”.

MB - If you had to choose, would
you rather flash the cash or earn the cash?

JB – Oh,
that’s a hard one! Of course, I would like to have lots of money but if you
just become ‘rich’ I think you can miss out on that sense of achievement of
earning your money and doing a job well. There is a fine balance to this one!

MB - Who would you say you look
up to in life?

JB – I
feel that my ‘idols’ are people like Richard Branson and Alan Sugar. There is
only so much that business theory can help you achieve in life but people like
Richard and Lord Sugar embody what you can do when you put the things we teach
about into practice. Lessons can give you a great insight into business but
success in real life is about making decisions, taking action and inspiring
people.

MB – Has there been a moment at
Hereward that has inspired you?

JB – Oh
lots of things! Moments such as students getting the job they wanted or getting
into their dream University are things that continue to inspire me. There are
some ex-students that I keep in touch with and seeing them do what they do
continues to inspire me when life gets a bit stressful!

MB - Do you have any advice for
people wanting to make it in the Business world?

JB – Action!
Planning and organising is key to success but it can only take you so far,
unless you act upon it, you won’t get anywhere!

MB – Which
Christmas just around the corner, what do you think is the best present you can
give to someone?

JB – That’s a hard one! I think instead of an item, you
should give someone an experience they will never forget. You can buy things
like balloon rides, track days where the person can drive their dream car and
things like that. Memories of a special experience last forever!